


The Wrong Side

by AMidnightDreary



Series: Riddles [3]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-13
Updated: 2018-10-13
Packaged: 2019-08-01 11:22:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16283663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AMidnightDreary/pseuds/AMidnightDreary
Summary: A confrontation.(Additional chapter to my story "A Riddle To Be Solved")





	The Wrong Side

**Author's Note:**

> Sooo, here's another chapter in Tony's POV. This one is actually plot relevant, so make sure you read this after chapter 17 of "A Riddle To Be Solved"!   
> I hope this makes sense. Uni has started just a few days ago, and I'm already sleep deprived. xD I'll try to post the next chapter of the main story some time next week.

Tony stood on the wrong side.

There were four people staring at him with varying stages of disapproval. Nothing he wasn't used to, really. He'd stood across from them often enough, but still. Those people staring at him were _his_ people. He was on their side, and goddammit, they should be on his. But they wouldn't be, of course. And Tony could almost understand that, because what he was doing here was madness. He knew that. But anyway, here he was, staring right back at them. Happy was four steps behind him – he didn't have anything to with this, really, but he had refused to stay in the jet. And then there was Loki, right next to Tony. A little bit closer than needed, maybe; Tony only had to move an inch to feel Loki's arms brushing against his. Probably not the best picture to show Fury and Friends, but like hell was Tony going to show them a different one.

They'd simply have to deal.

He did what he always did in moments like this – he plastered on a cocky grin and stood his ground, knowing they would hate him just a little for it.

“So, not that I'm not thankful for this little welcome party, but the mood kind of sucks. What is it with those bad vibes y'all are giving off, huh?”

“We _give off vibes_ appropriate for a situation like this, Stark.”

“A situation?” Tony looked at Fury, raising his brows. “No, Blackbeard, this isn't a situation. This is just one of those brief encounters in passing, where we say 'hi and bye' and then mind our own damn businesses like we should. Got it?”

“Tony, we're not here to accuse you of anything”, Steve said, right on cue.

“Sure you aren't. You're here to take the load off me, aren't you? Because you're just nice like that, and you'll be so much better at handling all this bullshit than I am.” Cap's expression changed into something that was disappointed and guilty at the same time, and Tony huffed a laugh, spreading his hands. “It's a nice offer, really, but I think I'm gonna decline. You just go and take care of your own problems. I'll even keep you updated on mine, like, with a call every few days? How about that?”

“I'm afraid we can't do it like that”, Natasha spoke up, almost apologetically. Damn actress. “At least not after what happened yesterday.”

“Ah, that”, Tony said, smiling crookedly at her. “Bruce won't make any more surprise visits, so stuff like that won't happen again.”

“People died, Tony.”

“I hope you are aware that I was not the one who killed them.”

All eyes flew to Loki, who was still standing next to Tony. He met Steve's eyes, his gaze just as calm and collected as his posture – chin up, back straight, hands folded at the small of his back. Only Tony and Happy could see the small movements there; how Loki's fingers were fidgeting just the tiniest bit. Loki was smiling in that aloof way of his; a small, unsettling thing Tony had seen a million times before.

“And I did not destroy the building, either”, Loki continued. “I was told that I even helped containing the damages, in fact. Surely that is nothing you would condemn me for, Captain?”

“I don't think he should be here for this.”

“ _He_ can hear you, birdbrain”, Tony told Clint.

The archer didn't even look at him. His eyes stayed fixed on Loki, hands twitching as if they were already about to grab his bow. Tony looked back at Loki, worried he might lose control – he was pretty sure seeing Clint would be the worst thing about this whole situation for Loki, and he half expected the former god to faint again. But all it seemed to do to Loki was confusing him, judging by the small frown that appeared on his forehead as he took Clint in. And that made Tony frown in return, because how did “almost passing out as soon as some Loki-related things are mentioned” turn to “staring right back at Clint without problems”? That was weird, right?

“He isn't wrong”, Natasha said interrupting Tony's thoughts. She was looking at Fury. “We can't even speak openly in his presence.”

“There's nothing to speak about, guys”, Tony said before Fury could answer. “We don't have much time, anyway. We've got a date with a certain god in a few hours, and I don't think you want to take it up with him.”

“Thor isn't in New York anymore”, Steve chimed in again. “He left this morning because his father wanted to speak with him. He''ll return in a few days.”

That rendered Tony speechless for a second. Then, he cursed, only inwardly, because he had _relied_ on Thor being here. He'd known that something like this would happen – and yes, Thor had said that he needed to speak the plan they'd made yesterday through with his father, and that he couldn't promise that he'd be in New York when they arrived, but _still_. Tony knew that having Thor on their side was about the only good argument they had, or rather the only good argument SHIELD would accept. And if Thor wasn't here...

He glanced at Loki, who was still smiling, still looking at the people wanting to imprison him as if they couldn't take it up with him, anyway. And damn, he didn't even know that that was pretty much the truth.

“They want us to take him in, until then”, Natasha said, breaking the silence Tony had failed to fill.

“Lie.” Loki's smile widened a little as he said that.

Natasha seemed a bit pissed, and Tony kind of wanted to high-five his partner in crime.

“Thor isn't here”, Fury said, speaking directly to Loki for the first time. “And he won't be here for your date, either.”

Loki cocked his head a little, still smiling. “So it seems.”

“We can't just let you roam around until he returns.”

“It will please you to hear that I won't, then”, Loki replied. His voice had an irritated edge to it; and since Tony knew that tone pretty well by now, he jumped in again.

“My tower is ten times safer than anything you could come up with”, he said, not even trying to sound patient. “I've updated the security on Thor's floor a little. He'll get a few rooms there, and no one gets in or out without me or Thor knowing about it. This isn't up for discussion, by the way.”

“Tony”, Steve said. He _was_ trying to sound patient, and it very nearly drove Tony mad. “Why are you doing this?”

“Because Thor asked me to. You were there, Capsicle. I could feel your disapproval through the phone.” Tony looked back at Fury. “This isn't your responsibility anymore, okay? You've got no right to take him in. Not even a reason; he isn't a threat right now.”

“He's been one hell of a threat last time”, Clint said.

The archer yanked his eyes away from Loki for the first time, but they flew back to the former god immediately, because it was Loki who answered.

“With all due respect, Agent Barton”, he said smoothly, “I cannot remember my own name, let alone a _last time._ I am no threat to any of you.” Loki's next smile showed teeth. “For the time being.”

“Okay”, Tony said before the others could comment on that, because _god, Loki, this is so not helping._ “So, I think we're done here. We'll be at my tower, then, I'm sure you know where it is. I'd invite you to come by, but I really don't want to see any of you for at least a week or five. Happy, go and get the car, would you, and -”

“Stark”, Fury interrupted him. “We'll take him in.”

Tony, who had already begun walking away, stopped in his tracks and looked back at Fury again. He was starting to get angry, and he wasn't soothed by the sight of Fury's hand, which had found its way under his black coat - and Natasha's fingers, hovering over the holster fastened to her belt, and Clint, obviously dying to take his bow and introduce Loki to his arrows. And then Steve, of course, who was watching but not yet stepping in, even though just one word of him would be enough. Just one word, and SHIELD would back away, and Tony wouldn't feel like he was committing treason anymore, _just one fucking -_

Nothing came, of course.

“What the hell do you even want?”, Tony asked them, bile rising in his throat. “Attack us? _Me_? Well then, go ahead, I've got my suit in the jet. We can bust our heads a little, work of some frustration, I'm all in for that.”

“No”, Steve said, taking a step forward. “We don't want that, Tony.”

“Well, I -”

“We _don't_ ”, Steve stressed, throwing a warning look at Clint before looking back at Tony. “You're still a part of the team. Okay? We just need to know what's going on. You're planning something, right?” Clear, blue eyes flickered to Loki and back. “You two, together. I'm sure you have reasons for not telling us, but -”

“Goddammit, Rogers”, Tony all but spat, hands clenching into fists. “I think I tried to tell you, more than once. Thor, too. You didn't want to listen, and _now_ you decide you've gotta be involved in this? Because we might be planning to take over the world or something?”

“I know you're not planning that”, Steve hurried to say, his hands in the air. “But if _he_ is, then you're pretty much the best person to be friends with.”

“You think I'm compromised?”, Tony asked, a joyless laugh on his lips.

“Are you?”

Tony looked at Natasha, wondering if he really should dignify that with an answer. “I'm trying to help”, he said in the end, tone still sharp. “Because I promised I would, and because I think it's the right thing to do. And how I'm doing that is, I'm saying it again, none of your business _._ It's between Thor, me and Rock of Ages. I'll keep you updated, but you're not making any decisions here.”

“We'll wait until Thor comes back”, Fury said, sounding as if he was making an offer. “Until then, he stays at one of SHIELD's bases. You can explain everything to us, and we'll listen, and then we decide what to -”

“No”, Tony cut him off, glaring at all of them. “ _No_. That's not how it's going to happen. I don't like repeating myself, so if you -”

“Why don't we just let them?”, Loki said, and Tony stared at him. Loki returned his gaze, the look in his eyes calm and strangely curious, his smile just the tiniest bit more sincere. “It will not be for long, anyway.”

Tony couldn't do anything but keep staring at him. He narrowed his eyes a little, trying to understand what was going on in his – yes – his _friend's_ head. He assumed that Loki hated and feared being imprisoned more than anything else, and that meant he expected to get something out of turning himself in. And Tony could take an educated guess at what that was – information. And, actually... since Tony couldn't yet tell him anything, that might not be the worst plan they could come up with.

Still. Tony didn't like it. He raised a questioning brow – _you sure?_ – _,_ and Loki gave a barely visible nod. _Yes, I'm sure,_ the nod said, and the smile added _they're going to regret this_.

Somehow, it made Tony angry. And so he clenched his teeth and looked away, back at Fury and the people he called his team. His friends. He couldn't quite say what exactly was driving him so mad about all of this, but he could taste the anger as if he'd just chewed and swallowed it.

“Fine”, he said flatly. “We agree.”

The others exchanged skeptical glances, but of course they didn't protest. It had to be pretty obvious that Loki was plotting something, but apparently they came to the conclusion they could keep him from getting what he wanted. Idiots.

The rest was a strangely quiet affair. Tony couldn't say why, not for the life of him, but he felt a little as if he was drowning. He watched how Loki willingly held out his wrists so Natasha could put him in shackles that had been specifically made for him, listened how _his friend_ commented on that with a dry “charming, really” and a mocking grin, and all the while Tony wondered why he wasn't stepping in. He shouldn't let this happen. He had promised he wouldn't. And why couldn't he keep his promises, just for once? But no, he watched and listened and nearly screamed at Steve a bit more when he tried to talk to him, and then he insisted on driving in the same car as Loki; acidic jibes tumbling from his lips without him even thinking about them. In the car, Loki rattled a little with his new shackles, his smile vanishing. He looked at Tony, who sat with him on the backseat, and Tony shrugged, because, really, _what did you expect?_

God, Thor was going to kill him.

 

 


End file.
